Cotton-chopper.



Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

2 SHBBTS-SHEET 1.

G. W. RICE.

COTTON SHOPPER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 24. 1909.

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COTTON CHOPPBR. APPLIGATION FILED 11.53.24. 1909,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

UNITED sTATEs AIa/ITENT oEEIcE.

GORDON W. RICE, OF CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS.

coTToN-cI-IOPPER.

To au whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GORDON W. RICE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Champaign, in the county of Champaign and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Cotton-Chopper, of which the following isa specification.

This invention has relation to cotton choppers and it consists in thenovel construction and arrangement of its parts, as hereinafter shownand described.

The object of the invention is to provide an attachment in the forni ofa cotton chopper which may be easily and quickly applied to the frameofv a sulky cultivator, it being understood that prior to the attachmentof the cotton chopping device, the cultivator beams and plows areremoved from the frame.

With the above object in view, the chopper consists of a frame which isadapted to be applied to the forward arch-bar of the cultivator frame,and upon which said frame is journaled to a stub shaft. Means isprovided for transmitting rotary movement from one of the supportingwheels of the cultivator frame to said stub shaft, and a second shaft isconnected with the stub shaft by means of a universal joint. A liftingdevice is mounted upon the arch axle of the cultivator frame and isoperatively connected with the rear end of the last said shaft, andchopping hoes are mounted upon the last said shaft, as are also disks.The said disks are located behind the chopping hoes and act as carrierwheels for the rear end of said shaft, and may be used for the purposeof listing the soil against the standing` plants after the row of plantshas been operated upon by the hoes. The said disks are so mounted thatthey may be swung by an operator using his feet in stirrups provided inconnection with the disks, whereby the disks may be turned laterally,and thus act as guiding wheels, whereby the chopping hoes can be guideddirectly over the row of plants being chopped. The primary object of thedisks is to act as carriers and as guiding wheels, as mentioned.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the cultivatorframe, with the cotton chopper attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the carrierandsteering device at the rear end of the chopper shaft. Fig. 4 is aside elevation of the chop- Specioation of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 24, 1909.

Patented Nov. 23, 1909. serial No. 485,495.

ping blades. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the arms which carry thechopping blades. Fig. 6 is a detail view, showing the angle at which thechopping blade is arranged.

The cultivator frame consists of the forward arch bar 1, which is heldin an upright position by the bars 2. The forward ends of the bars 2 areattached to the rear end portion of the tongue 3, while the rear ends ofthe said bars 2 are connected with the upper or intermediate portion ofthe arch axle 4. The axle 4 is supported upon the ground wheels 5, oneof which is provided with a sprocket rim 6. Seat bars 7 are ate tachedat their forward ends to the bars 2 at points intermediate of the endsthereof, and said bars extend back over the intermediate portion of theaxle 4. The seat 8 1s supported at the rear ends of the bars 7.'

The brace-bars 9 are connected at their lower forward ends with thelower portions of the arch bar 1, and at their rear ends with the axle 4and the bars 2 in the manner illustrated.

The cotton chopper consists of the frame 10, which, in turn, is made upof the anglebars 11, which are connected together at their ends by theend strips 12. The said strips 12 are perforated, and the lower ends ofthe arch bar 1 pass through the said perforations, and the said strips12 are held in adjusted position upon the lower portions of the arch bar1 by means of the collars 13 and set screws 14, which are locatedagainst the upper and lower sides of the said strips 12, and upon thelower portions of the arch bar 1. A shaft 15 is journaled for rotationupon the frame 10, and is provided at its outer end with a clutch member16. The sprocket wheel 17 is slidably mounted upon the shaft 15 and isprovided with a clutch hub 18, which, at times, is adapted to engage theclutch member 16. The sprocket chain 19 passes around the sprocket wheel17 and the sprocket rim 6. A lever 2O is fulcrumed upon the frame 10,and is provided with a working end which engages the hub of the sprocketAwheel 17, and which, when the said lever is swung' at its power end, isadapted to move the sprocket wheel into engagement with the clutchmember 16. A stub shaft 21 is also journaled for rotation upon the frame10, and is provided with a beveled pinion 22, which meshes with abeveled pinion 23, fixed at the inner end of the shaft 15. A universaljoint 24 operatively connects the stub shaft 21 with the chopper shaft25.

The chopper arms 26 are provided at their.

inner portions with the clamp recesses 27, which are adapted to receivethe shaft 25, and which are secured in adjusted position thereon bymeans of the clamping bolts 2S, which pass transversely throughperforations provided in the overlapping inner end portions of the saidarms 26. The outer end portions of the said arms 26 are twistedlaterally, and the blade shanks 29 are attached to the outer ends oftrie said arms 2G.

Chopping blades 32 are xed to the outer ends of the shanks 29, and thesaid blades are pitched at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to theline of draft of the implement, and at approximately the same angle tothe surface of the ground. The said blades 32 are spirally disposed andare provided with the forward pointed ends 33` which form angles, theapexes of which occur at the ends of the cutting edges of the saidblades 32.

A casting 34 is adjustably mounted upon the rear end port-ion of theshaft 25 and is held in an adjusted position thereon by means of thecollars 35, each of which is provided in turn with a set screw 36. Across-arm 37 is pivotally connected with the casting 34 by means of apivot bolt 38 (best shown in Fig. The shanks 39 of the spindles 40 aremounted at the ends of the cross-arm 37, and the upper end portions ofthe said Shanks 39 are connected together by a cross-bar 41. A chain 42is connected at its lower end with the said cross-bar 41 and passes upover a pulley 43, journaled for rotation between the bars 7 and theupper forward end of the said chain 42 is connected with the working endof the lever 44, which is fulcrumcd to one of the bars 7. A gear segment45 is also connected with one of the bars 7, and the lever 44 carries aspring-actuated pawl 46, which is adapted to engage the said gear-rack45. Thus it will be seen that when the lever 44 is swung and the chain42 is moved longitudinally the rear end portion of the shaft 25 may beraised or lowered, as desired. Disks 47 are journaled for rotation uponthe spindles 40, and are preferably of the concaved type, with theirconcaved surfaces facing each other. Stirrups A4S are mounted upon theouter end portions of the shanks 39 and are adapted to receive the feetof an operator who occupies the seat 8.

From the above description it is obvious that as the cotton chopperpasses along a row of standing plants, rot-ary movement is transmittedto the shaft 25 through the stub shaft 21 and its connecting parts, andthat as the blades 32 are rotated about the axis of the shaft 25 theywill successively come in contact with the stand of plants and chop outsuperfluous plants. By reason of the fact that the forward ends of thesaid blades 32 are pointed, and the said pointed ends are curved at thecutting edges of the said blades, it will be seen that as the bladespass transversely through the soil, they will not drag against the rootsof the plants left standing in advance of the incision made by theblades. That is to say, by reason of the chamfered configuration of theblades, sufficient space is provided for the machine, as an entirety, toadvance while the cotton cutting operation is being performed, withoutbringing the forward edge portion of the blade in contact with the rootsof the plant left standing in the row. Furthermore, it will be seen thatshould any one of the blades 32 come in contact with a large stone orother obstruction, by reason of the disposition of the said blade withrelation to the line of draft and surface of the ground, the force ofthe impact between the blade and the said object will cause the breakingpin 31 to snap, whereby the blade is free to swing away from theobstruction upon the pin 30; thus relieving the blade and the parts ofthe attachment from excessive shock. Again it will be seen vthat as thechopper advances along the row of plants an operator (whose feet are inthe stirrups 48) may guide the disks 47 laterally', and thus bring thechopping hoes against the standing plants, 'irrespective of the natureof the alinement of the plants in the row. In other words, if the plantshappen to be out of alinement in the row, the operator may guide t-hechopping hoes so as to bring them into suitable relation against theplants in the row. Y

Having described my invention, vwhat I claim as new, and desire tosecure, by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cotton chopper a shaft journaled n 3. In a cotton chopper ashaft journaled for rotation, chopping blades carried by the shaft, across-arm pivotally connected With the shaft, spindles having shanksadjustably connected with said cross-arm, disks journaled upon thespindles, and stirrups mounted upon the spindles.

4. In combination With a Wheel-mounted frame, a cotton chopper frameattached thereto, a stub shaft journaled for rotation upon the chopperframe, means operatively connecting the said shaft With one of thesupporting Wheels of the main frame, a chopper shaft, a universal jointconnecting the chopper shaft with the stub shaft, chopping-bladescarried by the chopper shaft, and steering` devices attached to the rearend of the chopper shaft byWhich a lateral movement may be imparted tothe said shaft.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing` as my own, I have heretoatlixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

GORDON W. RICE.

Witnesses:

R. H. GULLEY, E. C. ENGLTsH, Jr.

